Bouvier des Flandres Dog Breed Information And Traits

• Origin: Belgium, France
• Size: Large
• Dog Breed Group: Working / Herding
• Purebred: Yes
• Lifespan: 10-12 years
• Height: Male – 24.5-27.5 inches, Female – 23.5-26.5 inches
• Weight: 70 to 100 lbs
• Coat Appearance: Double coat
• Coat Colors: Black, Fawn, Brindle, Grey, Salt, Pepper
• Temperament: Smart, social, eager to please, balanced, watchful, loyal, devoted, affectionate, friendly
• Good With Children: Yes (Better with older children)
• Intelligence Level: Moderate
• Good With Pets: Yes, better with supervision
• Hypoallergenic: Yes
• Grooming: Moderate
• Shedding: Low (seasonal)
• Suitable For Apartments: No
• Need For Exercise: Moderate
• Easy To Train: No
• Good For First Time Owners: Moderate
• Health Issues: Portosystemic shunt, elbow dysplasia, megaesophagus, laryngeal paralysis, hypothyroidism
• Litter Size: 5-10 puppies
• Average Price: $1500 – $6400 USD

In French, Bouvier des Flandres means “cowherd of Flanders.” In the early days, it was known as “cattle driver or toucher de boeuf or pic”, “cow dog or koehond”, or “vuilbaard or dirty beard.”

Belgium once had different “Bouvier” dog breeds. In the medieval period, when this dog breed was conceived, Flanders consists of some parts of The Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

At present, both Belgium and France claim this breed as a native specialty. Shifting cattle was this breed’s main occupation.

The farmers of Low Countries and France preferred having one all-rounder dog. So Bouviers later performed several roles such as cart-pullers, guardians, watchdogs, and herders.

A Belgian breed club came into existence, and Belgian and French experts came out with a written manual.

With the start of the First World War, unfortunately, the Bouvier’s homeland faced an unprecedented situation.  The Belgian army played a key role in keeping this breed alive.

In peacetime, these dogs worked as guide dogs and K-9s. The American Club for this breed was formed in the year 1963.

Bouvier des Flandres Interesting Facts

• These dogs originated in the place Southwest Flanders
• In Belgium, a des Flandres cannot take home a prize unless he has won as an army or police dog
• The farmers and owners needed some help. These dogs are fabulous when it comes to household chores
• The first standard came into existence in 1912
• Ter Duinen monastery is still considered as the first unofficial Bouvier breeder in West Flanders
• It’s believed that the foundation stock of this breed was developed from an adorable trench dog named Nic de Sottegem
• Late American President Ronald owned a Bouvier dog named Lucky.

The Bouviers are rough-coated, short-coupled, compact, and powerfully built dog. This dog gives a solid impression of raw strength without any bit of clumsiness or heaviness.

These dogs are bold, spirited, and agile. His well-behaved personality denotes his fearless, resolute, and steady character.

His strong gaze is daring, vigor, intelligence, brilliant, and smart. By all means, he is a great dog and an excellent farm dog.

His durable double coat safeguards and enables him to do the most difficult tasks. People have used him as a messenger and ambulance dog. At present, people find him good as both guard and watchdog.

His attitude and mental characteristics, coupled with his enthusiasm and intelligence enable him to work as a tracking canine as well.

Substance

• Well muscled, strong boned
• Powerfully built

Head

• Impressive in size
• Accentuated by mustache and beard
• Expression is authentic

Eyes

• Neither sunken nor protrude
• Oval in shape with dark brown eyes
• The haw remains barely visible

Ears

• Alert and placed high
• Low and closely set ears are serious problems

Skull

Flat and well developed

Muzzle

• Well filled out, strong, and broad
• A spotted, pink, or brown nose is a problem

Cheeks

• Tight fitting, lips being dry, and lean and flat
• The jaws are of equal length and powerful

Body

Short, broad, and powerful

Topline

Well muscled, broad, and back short

Ribs

Well sprung and deep

Tail

Leaving 2 vertebrae, and the tail is docked

Forequarters

Straight, well muscled, and strong boned

Hindquarters

Powerful, well muscled, and firm

Bouvier des Flandres Coat

• A double, tousled coat ready to withstand the harshest work in inclement weather
• The undercoat is dense and soft, and fine. The outer hairs appear harsh and rough
• Slight trimming is only permitted. Topcoat must be trimmed, dry, and feel
• Tousled without curly.
• Ears are mainly rough-coated. Undercoat appears thicker in winter, and a thick mass of close, fine hair.
• A water-resistant coat
• Beard and mustache very thick
• The upper lip showcasing the chin and heavy mustache with its rough and heavy beard
• Erect hairs handling the shape without ever disturbing them

Coat Color

From black and fawn, passing through brindle, gray, salt, and pepper. The dog features a white star on its chest.

Size

• Male – 24.5 to 27.5 inches
• Female – 23.5 to 26.5 inches

Weight

Between 70 and 100 lbs

Bouvier des Flandres Lifespan

The average lifespan of this breed is ideally between 10 and 12 years. They do not build dogs like him anymore. These dogs are burly and unique.

The Bouviers are a fearless, resolute, steady, and equable dog. Shyness is undesirable.

An excellent apartment canine

Although these breeds are definitely not a small dog breed, these dogs can live comfortably in condos and apartments. They definitely need daily exercise.

Great watchdogs

The Bouviers instinct nature makes them good watchdogs. These dogs are not suggested for novice dog owners.

Raise them along with other pets

They are friendly by nature. Bouviers get along with other pets and dogs. Their herding instinct appears strong and better with supervision.

Supervision is a necessity

Being natural herding dogs, they would nudge small kids. Early socialization and training are necessary.

Family companions

The most important trait of this dog is its friendly nature. They love humans and make excellent family pets.

Bouvier des Flandres Puppies Names

The Bouviers are a top quality herding dog. The primary role of this dog was limited to herding cattle and sheep, pulling carts, and farming.

Nowadays, these dogs take part in shows. They are smart with agility and strength to boot.

Given its herding background, they can handle and also learn a different set of commands with ease.

Their versatility, fearlessness, and loyalty make these dogs a great choice for a family companion. The role of Bouviers in history is superb and that’s the main reason for their popularity.

These dogs are not an everyday pet, and which is why they deserve a special, well-planned name.

Male Bouvier des Flandres Puppy Names

• Pieter – Means “Rock”
• Aart – Short form of the name “Arnold”
• Aya – Means “bird”
• Abbe – “Nobleman”
• Dirk – Means “Ruler of the masses”
• Aldert – “Resolute or noble”
• Lars – “Crowned with laurel”
• Espen – “Bear of God”
• Floris – “Prosperous”
• Jelle – “Sacrifice”
• Bas – “Another version of Sebastian”

Female Bouvier des Flandres Puppy Names

• Gwen – “White circle”
• Anneke – “Another version of Anna”
• Earlene – “Noblewoman”
• Dacey – “Adored”
• Daewon – “Gracious God”
• Gabby – “God’s bravest woman”
• Gala – “Woman of serenity”
• Valentina – “One who is sound as well as strong”
• Vanya – “God is kind”
• Xenia – “Woman of hospitality”
• Zahra – “Radiant”

These dogs are not recommended for tidy people who don’t tolerate mess. He must be cleaned up every now and then, but, his coat collects debris and dirt, which is deposited throughout your room.

The Bouvier needs plenty of grooming and this can be expensive and time-intensive.  Due to his steadfast assertive personality, they are not recommended for novice dog owners.

The dog’s strong personality, herding instinct, and size make training very much important. Bouviers are the happiest dog when they spend time with the family.

This dog is capable enough to live outside. These dogs do best when given more access to both field and house. They love human care and warmth and should be provided with regular exercise.

They love playing for hours together. Walking and jogging for long hours keeps them young and active. Herding remains their favorite activity.

Occasional trimming and combing of their coat keep them looking best.

These dogs are excellent house pets.

Living condition – They can barely handle the heat. You better keep these dogs in a normal environment, moving between the indoors and the outdoors.

They do exceedingly well in a typical suburban environment that has spacious yards. Bouviers can handle apartment living when exercised and socialized enough.

Bouvier des Flandres Grooming And Shedding

The dog’s coat needs regular brushing once or twice. A large comb or pin brush or slicker brush will work well.

The beard needs cleaning, and the pet’s toenails should be neatly trimmed every week.

Daily brushing is recommended and the shedding is quite moderate-high.

This dog is blessed with an excellent weather-resistant outer coat. As you know, the undercoat is dense and fine. The outer coat appears long and coarse.

He does not shed that much, but the handsome Bouvierrequire a tad of grooming to look good. Start grooming as early as possible so that he adjusts to it as his normal activity.

Like most dogs with a cool fluffy coat, they get grubby fairly fast. Expect dirty, wet beard, feces on the dog’s hindquarters, burrs or leaves, and muddy paws.

It’s advisable to check the dog’s coat for weeds, ticks, and burrs. Bathe him once every six or eight weeks. You trim his coat once every few months. Many pet lovers hire a professional groomer, but you still have to brush on a regular basis.

Brushing – Brush your dog’s teeth at least once a day. This will help remove bacteria and tartar buildup. Daily brushing is better if you decide to prevent bad breath and gum disease.

Trimming – Trim your dog’s nails at least once or twice every fortnight. If you find them making noise, they are too long.

Dog toenails also carry blood vessels and if you reach out too far, you can make him bleed. Your dog will run away from you if sees the clippers.

If you are not expert trimmer, ask a groomer or vet for pointers.

Clean his ears – His ears should be checked for bad odor or redness. When you clean your dog’s ears, use a moist cotton ball dipped in a pH-balanced cleaner to stop ear infections.

Do not insert anything and you just clean the dog’s outer ear.

General Tips

Begin training your puppy to be examined and brushed when he’s small. Handle his paws gently – they are touchy. Make grooming a brilliant experience with rewards and praise.

As you groom, you check for inflammation on the dog’s skin, on the feet, in the eyes, mouth, and nose. Check for tenderness, redness, rashes, and sores.

Eyes need to be clear. They should have no discharge and redness. Your responsible weekly exam will assist you spot and identify potential scary health problems early.

Bouvier des Flandres Training

The Bouviers are happy when he is engaged. It could be anything ranging from rescue work, guard dog, obedience, herding, or babysitting.

These dogs are trained to do all type of activity. They have a pretty strong drive and should be well trained from the start.

They are excellent showmen and love competing or working with their owner. Highly eager to please, these dogs are owner’s dogs.

This breed is ideal for SAR work. They adapt to the pet’s training easily.

Bouvier des Flandres Exercise

They are keen to perform everything related to the pasture or barnyard. Of course, they will not milk the cows.

These dogs are happiest as long as they are busy. A dull or lazy Flandres can be a bad one. Dogs like these are a good fit for a smart household with a dog parent who bikes or jogs or hikes.

They need a large, private yard where he can play and romp, mainly with other kids or dogs who will help him stay in good condition both physically and mentally.

Heavy exercise should not be suggested while he is growing up.

These dog breeds are healthy. Like most other dog breeds, they are prone to natural health problems. Not all dogs will inherit all these disorders, but we recommend you prepare yourself to handle any health scare.

Responsible breeders will check their stock for several health conditions including subaortic stenosis, portosystemic shunt, elbow dysplasia, megaesophagus, laryngeal paralysis, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, glaucoma, epilepsy, ectopic ureters, deafness, cataracts, and myopathy.

Like all deep-chested and large dog breeds, these dogs can experience bloat and gastric dilatation.

Pet parents should understand how to easily identify this health condition and learn simple emergency steps to handle it.

We recommend these health tests for your dog –

• Cardiac Exam
• Ophthalmologist Evaluation
• Elbow Evaluation
• Hip Evaluation

Some of the common health problems in brief

Hip Dysplasia – In this condition, the thighbone fails to fit into the dog’s hip joint. Some pets show lameness and pain on both rear legs. Most dogs don’t display any signs of issues.

Dogs with these problems should not be bred.

Cataracts – These eye problems cause opacity, resulting in very poor eye vision. The canine’s eye will look cloudy. Cataracts occur in different stages and can be removed to improve pet vision.

Epilepsy – It’s a neurological condition and mostly inherited. Seizures are hard to digest. Don’t worry! Long term prognosis is better for canines with idiopathic epilepsy.

Gastric Torsion – This is a serious health condition. Bloat is seen more widespread amongst older dogs. The pet finds it difficult to vomit or belch to rid the excess air.

Recommended daily schedule – Around 3 to 5 bowls of best-quality dog food. Divide them into two meals.

These dogs should perform well on nutritious food. They can manage with both home-prepared or commercially manufactured dog food.

Any dog diet you choose should be based on your puppy’s age.

These breeds need a dog diet much lower in protein. Some pets are susceptible to getting obese. So, kindly watch your pet’s weight level and calorie consumption on a regular basis.

Treats are an important part of training and too much can lead to obesity.

Check with your local vet and decide the right feeding schedule. Fresh, clean water should be made available 24/7.

You will need special care if you own a puppy. They grow between four and seven months. Feed your pet a top-quality diet that prevents him from growing way too fast.

Bear in mind, how much your pet dog eats actually depends on his activity level, metabolism, build, age, and size.

Canines are individuals. The quality of food you feed makes a big difference, so concentrate on good dog food.

Maintain your dog in the best shape by feeding him at least twice a day. Do not leave food out for the dog to feed on its own.

Foods You Can Feed

• Carrots
• Peanut butter
• Eggs
• Salmon
• Blueberries
• Pineapple
• Watermelon
• Bread
• Blackberries
• Corn
• Green peas

Foods You Should Avoid

• Raw yeast dough
• Limes and lemons
• Nutmeg
• Grapes and Raisins
• Onions
• Garlic
• Macadamia Nuts
• Cinnamon
• Alcohol
• Chocolate
• Xylitol-based products
• Coffee or tea or any caffeine based food items

Bouvier des Flandres Puppies

The average selling price of this breed is around $1500 USD. The cost could rise even further when you consider factors like location, health certificate, and reputation.

You should spend anywhere from $1,500 USD all the way up to $6,400 USD.

Reputable Breeders in America (Bouvier des Flandres Rescue)

• Bajoren
  Lynn Velious
  Grover, MO 63040
• Denise Bohn
  Fort Calhoun, NE 68023
• J Richard Jones
  Clarksburg, WV 26301
• Brialea Bouviers
  Sunny DeYoung
  Glenwood City, WI 54013
• Dahnzig
  David Dittenber
  Leslie, MI 49251
• Windswept
  Tracy Zumwalt
  Dallesport, WA 98617

1. Are Bouvier des Flandres Hypoallergenic?

Yes. These dog breeds perform well with persons suffering from an allergic reaction. Keep in mind, there is nothing called as a 100% hypoallergenic dog.

There are plenty of breeds that minimizes or reduces the possibility of an allergic reaction.

The type of coat makes a little different because most people are allergic or prone to flakes on a dog’s skin. Some people are allergic to a dog’s saliva.

There is a low percentage of people susceptible to dog hair.

2. When Is Do Bouviers Stop Growing?

On average, the smallest dog takes around 9 months to touch adulthood. Larger dogs take close to 18 months to reach such a stage.

Do please remember that every puppy is distinct and different.